National News
UN rewards volunteers in Nigeria
UN rewards volunteers in Nigeria
By: Michael Mike, Abuja
The United Nations has rewarded volunteers in the country in order to encourage voluntary services.
Speaking at the award ceremony in Abuja to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Volunteers Programme, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Representative in Nigeria, Mohammed Yahya said that volunteers have contributed to peace and development in Nigeria, especially in the North East.
He said the need to increase the level of voluntary services and encourage more people to see volunteerism as the way to go in the country needs to be emphasised and encouraged.
He said UN Volunteers have demonstrated so much strength and resilience in contributing to peace and development, adding that: “I saw the work of nation volunteers especially in Borno State, north east Nigeria, working with communities, to engage in helping them in the transition to peaceful coexistence. The impact of volunteers cannot be over emphasized . for example the immense contribution in battling with COVID-19 virus at the peak of the pandemic in 2020. Volunteers have been at the forefront in response, helping to protect communities, raise awareness, and support recovery from losses. These are actions they take to make Nigeria a better place.”
Also Read: COMPLAINANT CHARGED ME FOR ARMED ROBBERY, KIDNAPPING…
The Country Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers Programme, Nigeria, Veronica Obiuwevbi, noted that “one of the fulfilments in life is volunteerism, the only thing you can do to make people happy, and make our society better is through voluntary service. To contribute to peace and development which UN Volunteers globally stands for is for you to put a smile on other peoples faces.
“It is of mutual benefit because when you are volunteering, you also are putting up new skills, new experiences, and meeting new people. Volunteerism gives you an avenue to know and do many new things. Especially fresh graduates who want to volunteer, they learn a lot which they can not get on paid jobs, which in turn gives them free will and access to the next level”.
One of the award recipient, Dr. Oluwatosin Jegede, the National Programme Associate, UN Office on Drugs, shares his experience, saying: “I have been working with the government and private organisation, but what i realized is that, I needed to do more , I needed to protect people the more. I need to do something that will be of national and international impact, in which my one simple activity that I do will protect a lot of people. What I have done is to give training to officers working at the prison in order to protect inmates against COVID-19. We looked at the training that fit into their particular situation at hand.”
In a paper presentation, entitled Leadership and Voluntarism, Mr. Olajide Aribisala, maintained that: “There is a need to encourage more people to see volunteerism as the way to go. Now the question is always, reward, what do I have, what gain is for me. I can tell you that when you volunteer, when you go out of your comfort zone to help people, there is a reward attached to services, it might be immediate or few years to come, it will always come. And people need to know that whenever you serve, you give your best to the community, there is a reward attached.”
The 50th anniversary of United Nations Volunteers was dedicated to volunteers who gave their whole service to humanity, also with awards to deserving volunteers.
The country award that cut across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, had 15 finalists from different fields.
The United Nations Volunteers Programme is a UN organisation that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. It is also a means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development.
Meanwhile, some of the volunteers given awards at the ceremony, called on Nigerians to make volunteerism a prioritised labour, so as to achieve the desired goal of impacting humanity.
UN rewards volunteers in Nigeria
National News
Nigeria Calls for Collaboration Among ECOWAS States to Develop Tourism Sector in West Africa
Nigeria Calls for Collaboration Among ECOWAS States to Develop Tourism Sector in West Africa
By: Michael Mike
Nigeria government has called for the collaboration among the counties of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to develop the tourism potential of the subregion and place West Africa in prime position to compete with other regions.
The Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Folorunsho Coker, also called for the streamlining of policies on tourism in countries in the subregion while delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the meeting of experts and stakeholders of the private tourism industry on the monitoring and evaluation mechanism of ECOTOUR 19-29 and the ECOWAS Tourism Accommodation regulator in Abuja on Tuesday.
Coker said: “It’s the season to collaborate not to compete,” adding that: “It’s in the spirit of collaboration that we will grow pan-African tourism.”
He said: “I want to encourage the localisation of policies”, insisting that policies would only be successful when localised.
Coker said all the regulations in the region be streamlined into one that will guide activities in the tourism sector across the 15 ECOWAS member states, urging for the training of tourism operators in the region as well as the introduction of technology in tourism.
He said: “We must embrace technology or it will leave us behind.”
The Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission, Massandjé Toure-Liste said the meeting drew aspiration from the ECOTOUR 19-29 action plan, adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government which was designed to serve as a roadmap for promoting responsible tourism.
She said: “To this end, our technical meeting today centres around drafting the operational modalities for two critical tools: the ECOTOUR 19-29 monitoring and evaluation mechanism and the ETAR – ECOWAS Tourism Accommodation Regulator.
“The ECOTOUR 19-29 Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism will involve developing operational guidelines and appointing dedicated members or focal points to oversee its implementation.
“Simultaneously, for the ECOWAS Tourist Accommodation Regulator (ETAR) we will define the composition and operational modalities in alignment with Regulation C.REG.2/07/23.
“Our focus on Private Sector Collaboration includes; facilitating dialogue among representatives from the private tourism sector and encouraging strategic alignment and collaboration at the regional level.
Massandjé, who was represented by the ECOWAS Commission’s Director of Private sector, Dr Anthony Elumelu, said: “Additionally, we aim to support private sector players in finalising the process of creating a regional confederation.”
The meeting is expected to end on Friday 17th May, 2024.
Nigeria Calls for Collaboration Among ECOWAS States to Develop Tourism Sector in West Africa
ActionAid Alleges Government Paying Lip-service to Free First Nine Years of Schooling
…Demands Immediate Government Action to End Educational Exclusion of Poor Children
By: Michael Mike
ActionAid Nigeria has alleged that the government is only paying lip service to the avowed policy of free education to children in their first nine years of schooling, insisting that a massive number of children are still being denied their right due to inadequate resources, poor infrastructure, and a lack of transparency in the use of public funds.
A statement on Monday by the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu demanded an immediate government action to end educational exclusion of poor children in the country.
The statement read: “ActionAid Nigeria vehemently disapproves the failure of the Nigerian government to provide quality education to children from poor backgrounds- one of its most vulnerable citizens. Despite the free education policy that was enacted to cater for children in their first nine years of schooling, a massive number of children are still being denied their right due to inadequate resources, poor infrastructure, and a lack of transparency in the use of public funds. This is a shocking dereliction of duty.
“This obvious inaction by the government is a clear betrayal of the trust placed in them by the citizens. The inconsistent working relationship between federal and state governments has resulted in a catastrophic failure of coordination, prioritization, and curriculum development. This is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.”
Mamedu added that: The outrageously high number of poorest children who are out of school is a direct consequence of the government’s appalling neglect of public services.”
Mamedu said: “According to the Nigerian Education Factsheet by UNICEF, about one fourth of the children of primary school completion age did not complete primary education. Moreover, there’s a staggering wealth-based disparity, as 97 per cent of children from the richest families complete primary school, compared to just 34 per cent from the poorest families.
“The gap widens in senior secondary school, where 90 per cent from wealthy families complete their education, versus a mere 16 per cent from poor families.”
He lamented that: “There are also significant ethnic disparities- children from Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Ibibio, and Edo backgrounds tend to have higher completion rates, while those from Fulani and Kanuri backgrounds face lower rates of educational attainment.”
He said he firmly believes that “Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that all children have access to quality education.”
He added that: “The current state of education in Nigeria is a crisis, and we assert that the government takes immediate action to address these issues and prioritize the future of our children.”
Mamedu said: “ActionAid strongly demands that the government: Implements the policy of free education for the first nine years of schooling effectively, without delay; Improves coordination and prioritization between federal and state governments, to ensure a unified approach to education; Increases transparency in the allocation and use of public funds for education, to ensure that resources are being used effectively; Allocates sufficient funds for infrastructure development and improving the school experience for children, to provide a safe and supportive learning environment.”
He said: “It’s time for the government to step up and fulfill its responsibility to provide a decent education for all, without excuses or exceptions.”
ActionAid Alleges Government Paying Lip-service to Free First Nine Years of Schooling
Six terrorists killed as army troops raid terrorists enclaves
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Operation Hadin Kai of the Nigerian Army have killed six fighters of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) during a raid of a “notorious enclave” in Goniri in Damboa LGA in Borno.
It was gathered that the feat was recorded when the troops of 81 Division Task Force Battalion stormed the terrorists enclave in collaboration with Civilian Joint Task Force on May 9, 2024.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the The troops successfully cleared Wulma Mashi and Kodow and destroyed structures of the terrorists. The troops went further to clear Goniri and Kokotuma. Contact was made with the terrorists in a small market before Gorere market.
The troops gundown the six terrorists and destroyed all the structures in the area.
Six terrorists killed as army troops raid terrorists enclaves
Buni approves the appointment of the new Emir of Tikau
Nigeria Calls for Collaboration Among ECOWAS States to Develop Tourism Sector in West Africa
Nigeria and UN Launch US$306 million Appeal Fund to Tackle Urgent Food and Nutrition Crisis in Northeast
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
EYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
Army University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
News2 months agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
News2 months agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns2 months agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS3 months agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions2 years agoTHE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions3 months agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Opinions2 months agoUMTH:…and the testimonies of patients and patient relations
-
National News2 months agoFraud and Mismanagement Rock INGO’s IDP Cash Assistance Effort in Bama
